In the world of watches I'm a civilian (and here a first time poster), but in the real world, I am an antiquarian bookseller (but not on Ebay), and I am somewhat taken back by the vehemence and resentment towards Nic for his supposed "greed" and "unfairness." I have bought two or three watches from him, all satisfactory, and I am sure he has sold them to me profitably. All the power to him. I was under no compulsion to buy from him and his profit is his business. In my extensive experience in a similar trade, I have often found that "collectors" are greedier than "dealers." The latter are sometimes motivated by sympathy, the need for cash flow, and an understanding of their product. A long-dead bookseller defined an antiquarian bookseller as a collector with one duplicate, and if anything, the lines become more blurred as time goes on.

P. Stern